The First of Many (Reapertale AU)
by emeraldlazers
Summary: Human beings have strain from the path of the gods. After all, living creatures can live forever and do not need to follow their teachings. Little does anyone, including even the acolyte of the gods, know that things are about to change. Based on "The First Reaping" story in the Reapertale Alternate Universe (created by Ren-Rin on tumblr). Follow me @emeraldlazers on Tumblr.
Chara was jolted awake as sounds of shattered glass echoed through the main hall of the temple. They had fallen asleep at the altar the night before. The temple's wooden door was at the other end of the large room with a high ceiling, beyond rows of dusty, empty chairs. Huge stained glass windows lined the walls. Chara searched for the source of the sound and saw that one of the great windows was reduced to only jagged edges while a fiery orange glow illuminated the outdoor night. They could hear yelling, indistinct but with tones of hatred.

"Wha… what?" Chara said to themselves. They were not unfamiliar with angry people trying to vandalize the temple. It sounded like there were a lot of them, all sounding aggressive. Chara flinched as a rock burst through another window. "Who goes there?" declared Chara in the most confident voice they could muster. "The acolyte's in there!" a voice replied and the swarm of yelling grew louder.

A huge boom thundered through the temple, and Chara was knocked to their feet. It was the door; there was a crack in the wood, visible from across the entire hall. Chara felt sweat beading on their forehead. Another huge boom, bits of wood splintered in all directions.  
The last time a group of people came to Chara, it wasn't for seeking guidance. Their jaw still ached. However, that was only about four or five people, and now they were faced with a much larger and angrier crowd now. They needed to leave, now.

Chara turned and ran to the room at the back wall, behind the altar. The room had shelves containing row after row of scrolls, paper, bottles of ink, and a few random pieces of incense. A wooden door was centered at the back of the room. Behind it were stairs to the tunnel that might allow them to escape. However, a large metal lock kept it shut. Chara frantically searched the shelves for the key, knocking scrolls and papers onto the floor haphazardly. They would usually be very hard on themselves for being so careless with the delicate scriptures, but worrying about it was a luxury they couldn't afford.

Chara remembered they had the key with them before the fell asleep. They ran back into the main hall and grabbed the key from a small handful of items resting on the stone alter. Another shocking boom almost made Chara trip again. They saw that a large piece of the door had broken off. Men and women with crazed expressions were visible from the other side, trying to ready their makeshift battering ram for one last assault. The yelling had become deafening.

Chara ran back to the room. Their hands were shaking as they tried and failed to fit the key into the lock. One more boom emanated through the temple. Chara's surprise got the better of them and they dropped the key into a sea of paper. They could hear footsteps now. Chara dug through the papers and scrolls and just managed to spot the key, grab it, wrestle it into the lock and click it open. They threw the lock across the room and ripped open the heavy door. They half ran, half stumbled down the stairs.

The stairs suddenly ended and became solid ground. Chara landed hard on the stone floor, their robes did little to soften the impact. The tunnel was dimly lit, but they did not need light since the tunnel was a straight shot. However, that also meant the pursuers could give chase easily. Chara started to hear faint voices from just beyond the top of the steps, and it was quickly getting louder.

Chara scrambled to their feet and took off running down the corridor. Their sandals were clacking against the stone floor. They saw there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and thankfully it was approaching fast. They turned their head to check if they were still being followed. They saw another light, but it was orange. The sound of sandals became muffled as stone turned to dirt and grass. The tight corridor expanded an underground cave about half the size of the temple's main hall.

Whenever they came to visit this sacred part of the temple, they felt at peace. A large pond sat in the middle of the cavern. The water always gave off a radiant blue glow that illuminated the cave. Small white glowing stones decorated the rocky walls. A tree with a white trunk and green leaves, bathed in blue light, loomed over the water. Its' branches bore the holy golden fruit of the gods.

Chara remembered all the times they came here when they felt turmoil. Now all they could think about is how the temple's attackers may destroy this place. However, that was a problem for later; they still needed to find the exit.

They skirted the edges of the tranquil water and ran to the other end of the cavern. A large stone wheel sealed the exit to this place. This path had not been used in a long time, as there is rarely reason to. Chara was not even sure it would still open. They grabbed a side of the side of the wheel and pulled as hard as they could. The stone didn't budge. They could hear shouting again. Chara oriented themselves to get more leverage on the wheel's side and attempted to push and roll it out of the way.

The shouting was getting louder. Chara instinctively darted their eyes to the other corridor and was now able to see the orange light. Chara pushed even harder. Their muscles burned, but the stone started to move ever so slightly. The orange glow was getting brighter, and the sounds of voices grew even louder. A slight opening in the wall started to form.

Then a man entered the room. The orange glow of the torch he held drowned out the natural glow of the cavern. The once holy place now looked ominous and twisted. "You!" shouted the figure. Chara put every last bit of strength they had into the stone. Soon a huge group of people would be upon them. What might happen next..? They didn't want to find out. The exit was wide enough for them fit through. More figures started to pour into the room as the leader of the pack sprinted toward Chara.

Chara's small form squeezed through the gap as the sound of footsteps became so close; it was almost right next to them. A chill went down Chara's spine as they felt a hand running down their cloak, barely missing a hold. They were that close to being caught. Chara swallowed hard.

Fortunately the mossy stairs were ahead, illuminated by moonlight. Chara quickly climbed stairs. They didn't have much time until the people trapped underground would completely unseal the exit.

They exited the mouth of a stairwell and were in the forest. The temple was not too far away. It looked like all the windows were broken now. Not all of the pack had gone inside. Many others, still illuminated by torchlight, surrounded the walls. Chara wondered if they themselves could be seen. Distant shouts filled the air. Chara turned and ran through the forest.

As they ran, they looked back and saw the figures were on the move again. Chara tried to think. _Why are they doing this? Why? What do they want-_ but Chara's questions were interrupted when a sound screeched past them and an arrow pierced the bark of a nearby tree. Chara ran even faster.

The night air may seem freezing to most, but Chara's robes were drenched in sweat. They felt their legs could give out at any moment. Panting heavily, their lungs burned. They could feel veins drumming as their heart pounded. Every part of them cried out to stop, but they knew that if they did, something awful would happen. They had to keep running.

They were not sure how far behind the mob was, but it already sounded close. They looked again. Too close. They could start to make out faces and expressions: all of them looked angry and crazed. Another arrow screeched past. This one was so close; Chara could feel air brushing against their right arm.

They pushed through a patch of brush, and were now in a clearing in the forest. There were no trees, only flat grass and a few useless yellow flowers. Any chance of being able to hide was gone.

They got to about the center of the field when a sudden and sharp pain ripped through Chara's calf. They collapsed on the ground and cried out. An arrow had pierced straight through their leg. Blood trickled onto the crisp grass. Chara, now crawling away, was surrounded within moments. The crazed group formed a circle around them, torches and weapons held as if poised to strike. There was no escape now.

Somehow, these people were enjoying this. People hollered in delight, yelled insults, laughed heartily and a few were telling jokes at Chara's expense. Chara was accustomed to the malice that some people possessed but to this extent? Sometimes people spat a few shouts of disrespect. Other times a few curt shoves. On many occasion it was painting over, or even damaging a few statues of the Gods as some sort of prank. The most extreme example was when Chara felt like their jaw had come close to breaking, but this? This was simply evil; sinful.

A figure stepped forward from the crowd. Tears of pain started to cloud Chara's vision, but they saw a man with a bushy brown beard, short brown hair, wearing something that looked like a tunic. "Silence!" yelled the man in a powerful voice. An uncanny hush fell over even the wildest of the crowd. The loudest thing at that moment was Chara's heavy breathing.

The man gazed at Chara with a look of contempt, before turning to address the crowd. "This is the last of the acolytes, or so they say. This miserable creature that lies on the ground before us stands to solely represent the gods, their way of life, their kindness... their so-called desire for us to be happy. And yet how can these beings truly be so benevolent if they cannot even protect their ever-so-precious chosen few?" A few grunts of agreement wove through the crowd. The man walked over to Chara and knelt down beside them. They still spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "You. You have always spouted that the gods will help when anyone calls. So go ahead, call out to them. Scream into the void and we will all see what answers."

Chara, now shaking, managed to whisper the words "As…riel please I need-"Chara screamed as the man twisted the arrow in Chara's leg. It was agonizing.

"I said speak so everyone can hear." The man snarled.

Chara yelled "H-help! W-Where are you… Please… A-Asriel!" The man let go of the arrow and the pain subsided, but only a little. Chara was sobbing.

Chara's thoughts raced. _Asriel will be here. He's always here when I need him._ However the silence grew more and more disturbing as the seconds passed. Still no sign of Asriel nor any of the Gods. "Hah!" The man started to laugh, followed shortly by the crowd. Chara didn't care about what they thought. _Why have the Gods gone silent now? Why has there been no sign of Asriel?_ Then they remembered that Asriel has not answered their call for some time now. How long? Days? Weeks? It didn't make sense.

Chara's thoughts were interrupted when the man once again yelled "Silence!" Chara could not bare to look at the man, and kept their head to the ground. "So, this is how they answer. Such merciless gods are not deserving of our worship. Or maybe they were never real to begin with-"  
"No!" Chara yelled. They were now staring the man straight in the eyes. "They are real! They just…"

"No, please, you were saying?"

"I… can't explain…"

"So, you admit it, it's all nonsense?"

"No, it's… faith."

"Faith?"

"Yes, they are all around us! They are always watching and listening, and helping from afar." Chara's voice seemed to break on every word. The speech sounded a lot more convincing in their head. A few chuckles wove through the crowd.

"Oh, okay. Faith could be an explanation, but I've been doing some thinking, and I've found a more… realistic explanation. In the temples, prayers are lead by the acolyte. To learn of the gods and their teachings, people must consult the acolytes. Anyone seeking guidance asks the acolyte for help. I think you make such grandiose claims about higher beings not out of faith, but because you have something to gain."

"No… I wouldn't" Chara managed to grunt. Then man reached for the arrow again. "I said no, I wouldn't!" Chara yelled frantically.

"Yes you would, and the reason is simple really. Power. You are a fraud who only seeks to control our lives with your rituals and ceremonies!"

"Can't you understand? The gods just want people to be happy."

"Well then I, and everyone, have something to say to these Gods. We denounce you, and your way of life! The crowd roared in applause. Chara's heart sank; it seemed there was no getting through to these people. Chara's thoughts drifted again to Asriel, but soon they were pulled back into the moment. "Everyone, listen to me!" The man continued. "Our work is not yet complete. Together, let us denounce this false prophet."

A foreboding aura enveloped Chara. Their eyes widened when they saw the man draw a dagger with a blade made of pearl. Where had they seen this knife before? The man continued his speech. "This dagger is used in a Ceremony for the gods. Does anyone remember what the exact use was? Anyone? No? Well, it was to cut some nonsensical holy fruit so it could be used as an offering to the Gods. Since we are having our own ceremony, I thought it only fitting to use this very same dagger. It's just that this is a very different ceremony."

As agreement thundered through the crowd, Chara started trembling. They did not know what sort of ceremony the man planned, but they knew they needed to get away. Chara forced themselves to stand. The pain in their leg threatened to pull them back to the ground, but Chara gritted their teeth and started to move. "Stop them!" The man yelled. In seconds, Chara was on their back, head spinning. "Hold them!" The man growled. Multiple people converged on Chara, and yanked their arms and legs out in all directions. Chara struggled, but they could not move.

The man stood, towering over Chara, knife held high above his head. "No! Please! Sto-" Chara's screaming were silenced as the man covered their mouth with his free hand. He thrust the knife down. Chara felt as if their chest exploded.

They started to spasm uncontrollably. Hot red liquid gushed everywhere. Their rhythmic heartbeat was now random and volatile. Chara wanted to call for help. Even though the hand blocking their mouth had moved away, their throat wouldn't allow it. They couldn't breathe. Their lungs and mouth filled with the disgusting taste of iron. Through clouded vision, the world was spinning.

The people who held Chara down now moved away. They turned to each other and hollered in sinful celebration. Chara tried to reach for the blood-soaked knife still embedded in their chest. They couldn't control their arm; it just twitched on the ground.

There was one person in the crowd who did not join the roar. It was a woman with blue eyes and long black hair. She stared wide-eyed at Chara with a hand over her mouth. Chara tired again to move their arm. Chara focused as hard as the agonizing panic allowed them to and managed to extend their arm toward the woman. Chara mouthed the words; "Mercy."

She slowly reached out her free hand a few inches like she wanted to help, but pulled back. She turned away, shaking. No one would help Chara as the world started to darken.

The sounds of the world grew muffled and distant. The intense pain started to dull. The feeling of wet grass beneath their hands became indistinct. The world grew darker and darker still. _What's happening to me?_ Chara thought. _Why will no one, not even Asriel, help me?_ They wanted to see him, embrace him so badly, if even only for a moment.

Chara felt an ethereal force pulling them further and further into a dark void. The pain was still there but it felt so unnaturally far away now, which was somehow more terrifying than when it had been present. Everything was dark. Chara felt the darkness pressing down on them, suffocating them. Chara frantically looked around for someone, anyone that could help.

Something changed about this place. A colorless image danced through the shadows. It resembled Chara talking to someone. Chara felt they knew their name, but when they tried to recall the word, they could not. It was as if the memory was pulled from their mind and projected into the shadows. There was another hole in their memory now. Another image, this time of Chara in a place, but they couldn't say where.

One by one, Chara felt their memories were being taken and projected into the shifting darkness of this place. _What if I forget about Asriel?_ A hot wash of fear and panic coursed through Chara. There were images everywhere now, on all sides of them. They all were converging somewhere, as if pulled by invisible strings. They searched, hoping to find the source. They needed it back, all of it. It was theirs and theirs alone.

That's when Chara saw it. The raw feeling of pure dread only felt in terrible nightmares enveloped them. The edges of its' cloak seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness. A hood covered where a head would be. There was something under there, but it was impossible to tell what it looked like.

"It's pathetic, isn't it?" a deep and somber voice said. "I don't have the courage to even look you straight in the eye."

"Wha- what... why? Why is this happening? Who are you?" Chara managed to whisper. Nothing made sense.

"I am known as the Reaper." It continued.

"Reap…er?"

"It's unfortunate that this happened to you of all people."

"I…"

"I know you're scared. I'm not sure what this place is like for you, but it must seem like too much. All that is around you are your memories. In a sense, it's what makes you who you are. You… won't be needing them where were going."

"Don't-"

"-but please, if you choose to come with me this will be much easier… for both of us."

"N… no."

"It doesn't hurt, it's… peaceful. You can finally relax."

"Will I get to see Asriel?" The Reaper was silent. Chara couldn't imagine not seeing- wait, what was it? What was the name? They just had it. It was so important, Chara knew that, but why could they not remember? They struggled against the darkness, but they could not move. Their breathing was getting faster, but it felt like there was no air, only suffocation. Their heart was… they could not feel their heart beating. They tried to thrash more and more but to no avail.

"Please kid, you're only making things worse."

"Why are you doing this?" Screamed Chara. "What did I do? Why am I being punished? Did I do something wrong? Please, just stop!"

"Kid, this happens to everything eventually. Just take my hand and it will all be over." The Reaper was standing directly in front of Chara now. A hand made completely of bone outstretched. Chara stopped thrashing, they were looking up at the figure's invisible face with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, but they did not move to take the hand. Finally, it said, "Ok then, I didn't want to do this, but you're not making this easy."

The hand now moved out to the side and a large staff materialized. Somehow it was even darker than its' surrounding. The top had what looked to be an ornament that resembled some sort of lizard head. Then from the lizard's mouth, a wicked blade curved into existence. The reaper slowly raised the scythe high above its head, the surrounding darkness seemed to flow and shimmer with the movement.

"No. No. Stop!" Chara pulled and thrashed as hard as they could now. They could barely see, their eyes were awash in ghostly tears. "Please, I just, I don't… I don't… I… am…" The background was shimmering in a sea of visions and images. All that was Chara was almost gone. They had no memories; they couldn't even form a complete thought. All that remained were raw primal instincts: to fear, to flee, to live. Chara's entire being pulled against the restraining darkness.

In that moment, when the scythe reached its pinnacle, the Reaper's hands, although barely visible, did not strike, but instead trembled. Finally, after one endless moment, the scythe slashed down, but right before it struck Chara, they managed to move away somehow, just the smallest amount.

The scythe cut so deep, as if almost tore apart their very soul. Almost. The feeling of being stabbed paled in comparison to this. Every fiber of them screamed out in agony. It felt as if they were on the cusp of being ripped from existence, but were still barely grounded in reality.

Amongst everything, Chara heard a faint voice, now filled with panic "No, no this was not supposed to happen." The surrounding darkness and the images that danced through it started to funnel through the scythe and back into them. Chara was drowning in an ocean of their own memories, their thoughts, their very life. All of them tinged with the raw emotions they were feeling.

Everything went still. They realized they were staring at the starry sky. They started to shake violently. Not because the pain in their leg and chest that had returned in full force, but because fear.

They just wanted everything to go away. All their memories were back, but all of them, even memories of Asriel, had no emotion to follow them. Remembering was like looking at pictures of someone else. All they felt was fear. It wove back through all their memories; this is how they felt their whole life. The concepts of joy and happiness were just that: concepts.

They quickly sat up, but the pain in chest became extremely apparent. Their fist clenched the red grass beneath them. The dagger was still there, they needed to get it out. They clutched the dagger with both hands. Their hands shook, causing the blade to wobble and renew the already excruciating pain. They pulled hard. It didn't make them feel any better. Chara felt the need to exhale, but was unable to. Yet they tried to focus on the pain. Ironically, it made their trembling ease slightly.

They forced themselves to stand, they needed to get away. They realized their leg still had the arrow piercing through it. Their bad leg wobbled. They bent over and pulled it out, almost tripping themselves. Everything hurt. They were drenched in their own blood. They were about to run away but then they saw the same people that had attacked them in the distance. They were nearing the edges of the field. Their backs were turned; the must have thought they succeeded in their task. It was by pure coincidence that one of them turned back for one final look at what they accomplished. They saw Chara, still alive.

A yell went out, and they all turned, focusing on Chara. Their urge to flee was drowned out by a new wave of helpless terror. The mob started to charge, screaming in anger. At the head of the pack was the man, his cloths awash in red. "Help me!" Chara screamed automatically. Something answered.

As the memory of being stabbed replayed in their mind, dark patches of grass started to form around the man. The shadows grew into humanoid figures. Everyone stopped in bewilderment of the strange sightings. The figures grabbed the man suddenly and forced him to the ground. His arms and legs held down in the exact way that Chara was restrained. One Shadow towered over the man. It looked like an exact silhouette of the very person trying in vain to escape.

The shadow held its' arm high in the air. There was a sharp edge to it. The figure plunged the phantom blade into the man's chest and horrified screams rang out from everyone gathered. The shadows disappeared as the memory faded from Chara's thoughts. All anyone could do was stare helplessly at the man thrashing on the ground, blood flowing like a river.

Chara's mind raced. Had they done this? And what was this feeling? It was new, not fear but something else. They could not describe it. Was this what joy was? Or were they feeling regret? They knew that what they had done, if it was even them who did it, was wrong, but it offered them such relief from the crippling endlessness of fear. After all, this is what the man lying on the ground wanted, and so his wish was granted. Even the way his once powerful voice was now reduced to incoherent gurgling sounded so… real.

"You monster!" another man holding a pitchfork yelled out. Chara thoughts were broken by the sudden outburst. He turned to face Chara. He was sweating. The surreal experience was beginning to fade and icy fear was once again settling in. It grew even colder when the others in the group took steps toward Chara with weapons raised.

An unintelligible yell came from some part of the crowd and they all charged. Once again, the panic and fear took over complete control of them. Chara closed their eyes, turned away their head, and raised a hand in a fleeting attempt to block the inevitable strikes. They imagined the cruel thought of what would happen to them; being torn to shreds.

However the attack never came. Instead, cries of agony assailed Chara's ears and once again the sickly sweet feeling started to flow again. Chara reluctantly turned their head to look. The feeling grew greater, almost overpowering. All fear was now gone.

Everyone in the charge was impaled on massive spires of pure darkness. Some of the carnage didn't even resemble human forms. The cries were deafening. Random weapons littered the ground. The scattered touches did not cause the grass to catch fire. The ground was too damp with red. Yet somehow this seemed… good. The relief was a thousand times greater than before. _No_ , Chara thought, _this is not the person I see in my memories. They- I never liked hurting people, did I? Yet why do I feel this way?_

Chara kept attempting to think of a logical answer to their thousands of questions, but it was difficult to resist the urge to let their mind drift into the sea of ecstasy they experienced. They simply stood, staring as the screaming slowly died down to whimpers. Flailing movement became sparse twitches at random places in random intervals. Already the feeling was starting to become lost. The pillars of darkness begun to fade, slowly setting those impaled down onto the moist earth. All sound was practically gone, except for one sound that never stopped.

Sobbing. Chara, searched for the source of the sound. They slowly limped through the jungle of bodies and strode a ways through open, dry grass. Each step made the pain in their leg twitch for a moment. Eventually they found themselves standing over someone, head covered by hands.

They must not have joined the attack, and therefore not been there to find themselves meeting the same fate as the others, but who? The figure finally realized someone was standing behind them, pearl knife in hand. She turned and the shocking sight made her fall onto her back. It was the women with long black hair who had turned away from Chara.

She started screaming, "Please don't! I'm sorry! I should have helped. I'm sorry!" Tears clouded her brilliant blue eyes. Chara slowly started to raise the knife. They so badly wanted the feeling to return, it was the only thing that gave pause to their constant torture.

She continued to incoherently scream such apologies for some time while Chara simply stood over them, knife held to the sky, watching. Their mind was unable to process what to do next. The knife trembled in Chara's grip. They so craved the feeling of relief. It was almost justified to hurt others in self-defense, but she was not even trying to fight back.

The woman's screaming seemed to fade and she began to regain some sense of composure. She, still on the floor, changed her position to one of submissive prayer. This was odd. She sat with on her folded legs and bowed her head to the ground, arms stretching toward Chara's feet.

Through sobs she managed "F-forgive me acolyte for I have sinned. I took part of something terrible and I…" her voice trailed off. A long silence filled the air. Chara still had the ability to kill her at any time.

After what seemed like forever, Chara couldn't do it. Not out of sorrow, or empathy. Those emotions didn't hold any weight. They just didn't have the drive.

"Go." Was all Chara said. It was all they needed to say. "Thank you." The woman stammered. She quickly got up, turned, picked a random direction toward the forest, and ran as fast as she could.

The sight of the fleeing woman made Chara realize there was something gnawing at the back of their mind. They did not know what it was, or how long it had been there. They could not put a name to it. It didn't matter, it was impossible for her escape to be important to them.

The knife slipped from Chara's grasp. They sat down on the cool, untainted grass. They had their head in their hands, trying desperately to make sense of everything. The overpowering feeling of fear once again covered them with its' full embrace. The pain in their chest had grown to be almost as awful as the moment it violently began. Past events played over and over again in their head.

The recent absence of Asriel, the attack that had almost taken them away from the world, the figure in the dark… Why did they feel this way? Did they always feel so afraid, and why did suffering of others make them feel so good? Why could they summon shadows? Were they even the ones doing so? If not, then who, or what? Endless questions with no answers.

Chara felt like they could cry, but they had no tears left. Instead they slowly rocked themselves back and forth in a futile attempt to comfort themselves. Their efforts ceased when they suddenly felt a dreadfully familiar presence. It was very close. An instinct took over and they threw themselves back. The shining edge of a scythe appeared in the ground they were moments ago.

Once again, Chara looked upon a cloak made of pure darkness. Black flames seemed to flicker from the material. Chara's gaze traveled up to see the face of Reaper, the hood of its' cloak gone. A large, round skull gazed back at Chara, teeth fixed into what looked to be a smile. The holes of its' round eyes were as dark as the cloak. The expression, even though it was smiling, looked… uncertain. The grass beneath its' feet was withering and turning brown.

Chara started crawling back. They couldn't breathe, mind racing. It was back, but how? The Reaper pulled the scythe from the dirt, raising it again to strike. The fear took over again; Chara shut their eyes tight and threw up a hand. They wished for nothing more in the world than to see the figure vanish. They quickly regained some semblance of composure and when they looked, they saw the Reaper had moved a short distance to the right; a black chasm remained in the ground it once stood.

Its' scythe was no longer raised; the Reaper was not even looking at Chara. It was gazing at the opening that almost swallowed it. As the fissure started to fade, returning to wilted grass, the skull slowly turned to look at Chara. Small white dots, resembling pupils now filled each eye socket. It still wore the smile but the eyes showed the faintest signs of concern. "This is all wrong." It said through unmoving teeth, still smiling. "You were never supposed to… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hesitated. I will finish this properly now."

Chara had scrambled to their feet by the time the Reaper drew near, readying the scythe for another strike. Chara turned and half ran, half limped away on shaky legs. A shadow appeared before Chara, but it was not by their will. The shadow melted into the form of the Reaper.  
Chara stopped themselves just short of the arcing slash that narrowly missed their head. Eyes wide, they ran in another direction, and again the reaper appeared. Chara rolled to the side, narrowly avoided the next strike and continued to run. If they kept up this pattern, soon the Reaper would be able to adapt and strike them down.

A shadow once again appeared in front of them. Chara reached out their hand; desperately hoping they could control their power out of their own will and not by accident. They imagined the same spikes as before, springing to meet to reaper. Fear flared through them, and spikes sprung from the ground as the reaper materialized.

The spikes pierced into the cloak, but nothing happened. The cloak of fiery darkness only seemed to absorb the attack, like two overlapping shadows having no effect on each other. The attack still caught the Reaper off-guard, obviously not expecting Chara to have the means to fight back. However, its' daze would soon fade.

Chara turned again and ran, not looking back. _Why? Why was this happening? Why?_ The one word question kept repeating over and over through their thoughts.

A sense of warning shot through them. They jumped to the side as blinding flash of light vaporized the ground they once stood on, super-heating the surrounding air. They had not been hit directly, but the intense heat sent searing pains through Chara's side.

Chara looked back and saw the reaper standing in the distance, accompanied by the giant floating skull of some huge beast that resembled the ornament atop the Reaper's scythe. ' _Why?_ ' kept pounding through their head. There was something inside them, a small ember of a distant feeling. Not fear, not the urge to run, and not the feeling of relief. It was growing slowly.

The Reaper raised his hand toward Chara, and the beastly skull started to open its huge maw. Its' teethed looked as if they were unzipping themselves. The lower jaw split open. A light was gathering at the back of the skull.

Chara dodged again to the side, jumping as far as their half-working legs could allow. The skull emitted another blinding beam; it came much closer to Chara this time. The agonizing heat worsened Chara's already sizzling and blistering skin. It even started to peel off.

Chara did not scream. The heat from the attack only made the feeling within them grow. Chara stood up, and began to walk away on two barely functioning legs. One of their calves was burnt badly; the other had a torn hole running through it. Each step was torture, but Chara kept moving. The earth rumbled and Chara stopped before walking into a wall of sharpened bones that erupted from the earth in front of them. _Why?_

It was a feeling that had been with them throughout their entire life. Even at the moment in the darkened void when the reaper stood over them, unable to move, all their memories taken, it had remained. Smothered by other intense feelings, but still there.

Now the discipline, or possibly the denial that had kept it in check was gone. Gone along with the feelings of safety, of truly knowing happiness, of hope. It had all been taken, only leaving Chara with so very little. _Why?_

They did not hesitate at the sparks of this feeling, but embraced them. It grew wilder, hotter. Its' heated melted away the cold fear. Chara turned back to face the Reaper. The urge to run was gone. Not only did they no longer felt the need to run. They didn't even want to; they wanted to act. If they did not, then soon they would be destroyed, but there was also another reason… _Why?_

The Reaper readied the behemoth skull for another attack. As it opened its maw once again, Chara held out both hands in front of them. The spark inside them flared like fire and a black wall of flames shot out of the ground in front of them. They then saw light explode from all around the edges of the flame, but the defense held. _Why did the gods refuse to help me?_ The dark flames flickered out of existence.

Chara balled their fists tightly. The urge to crush surged through their mind. The target was not the Reaper its' self, but rather the gargantuan skull. A massive shadowy hand formed into existence around the skull. It clamped down hard. Huge cracks ravaged its' structure. Pieces broke free until all that remained of the behemoth was a pile of chunks that was starting to further fade into dust. _Even Asriel has not been here to help? Is he a part of this?_

The hand faded. The ground at Chara's feet was beginning to turn completely black as the feeling continued to build. They needed an opening.

The Reaper raised both arms in the air, but Chara was faster. The image of themselves rising from the earth flashed through their mind. They let the automatic feeling of f jolt through them. The blackness pooling at their feet shot up a black pillar, carrying them up into the air as hundreds of sharp bones converged on them. They were not quite fast enough, as small, but razor sharp bone cut deep into the Chara's side.

Their upward movement did not help, as the bone now slid down them, creating a deep gash in their already red and damaged skin. They were raised on a pillar of shadow, above a field of spiked bones jutting out of the earth, bleeding badly on one side.

They refused to be affected by the wound and the pain it brought. It was inconsequential. All of the strangling fear was gone, replaced by the fire inside them. _Still they fight to end me? Do they send their minion to harvest me because they have grown bored of me?_

They wasted no time. The images of an arrow ripping through their leg played over again and again in their mind. The thought of it made Chara's hands, now fists, clench so hard the knuckles started to turn white. There were dozens. _Even after everything I have done for them? All that I have sacrificed?_

The pedestal of shadow they stood atop now had blobs falling from it and onto the ground. Each one molded into the form of a shadowy person holding what resembled a bow. One for each image that raced through their mind. _Does it matter?_

All of the archers sent their dark bolts flying through the air. Chara's complete focus was now on finding the Reaper's weak point now. The arrows impacted its' cowl, only proving as effective as their previous attack. The arrows disappeared into the rippling darkness.

All bolts aimed at the head were swiftly intercepted by the blade of its' scythe. The shadowy arrows melted into the scythe until they were no more. Just like the cloak. Shadow cancels shadow. That was why the Reaper used attacks made of bone and light. That was the weak point.

Chara let the images of the archers fade. With a thought, the pillar of darkness they stood atop began to bend forward toward the ground, away from the jagged bones still pointed up at them. Soon they were set onto the grass as the pillar quickly faded to nothingness. Chara started to run; each step they took left an unnatural black stain on the ground. They ran not away from the reaper, but towards it.

Chara's legs were in terrible condition, but they forced themselves forward. They ran faster than they ever had before. As they closed in on the Reaper, they used their control over the shadows to deflect, avoid and slash through waves of sharp projectiles. They wielded no weapon, but that was fine. They were so close now, able to see details on the Reaper's face. It raised its' scythe, ready to meet Chara.

They outstretched a hand in defiance of the Reaper's strike. They focused on all that had happened to them, their fear, their pain, their desperation, their confusion, and the inner fire that burned within them and focused it onto a single point in their palm. They caught the tip of the scythe with one hand. Their hand was emanating black flames, just like the Reaper's cloak. Its' indifferent expression changed from one of neutrality to one of shock. Even the apparently fixed smile drooped into disturbed a frown.

Chara reached out their free hand to the side. They imagined the knife in their free hand and from wherever it came from, it was now in their grip. A wicked smile played across their face. They stabbed deep into the Reaper's cloak. The Reaper's grip on the scythe softened and they buckled over. Chara suspected it would still live. Anything resembling the gods could not die to physical injuries, but the pain would still be great.

It spoke, "You… don't understand-" But Chara interrupted when they ripped the knife out of the cloaked figure, a glimmering substance, resembling sand, trickled from the wound. Chara let go of the scythe. It and the Reaper fell to the ground. It continued to speak in a tone of grim seriousness, "Look, I know what's happening to you."

"I do too." Said Chara. "You failed at your job, and what I am now is the result."

"Yeah… well-" The Reaper shot up one skeletal hand and a bone erupted from the ground. Chara was not surprised by the sudden attack and just the right amount of fear caused a shadowy hand to appear and catch the projectile. The hand reduced it to dust and disappeared. "You still can't do your job properly." Chara snarled. They slashed down with the knife into where its' neck would be. The Reaper fell flat on its' face. More sand trickled from its' new would.

Before it could do anything else, Chara had one more thing that needed to be said. They wanted their defiance of the gods to be known. They spoke, "I know I cannot do to you what you have done to me. So do this instead. I want you to return to the Gods who sent you and tell them everything. About the attack on my life they did nothing to stop, that you failed to do the one thing you were supposed to, and everything that I have done afterward… and will continue to do."

The reaper's head shot up to meet Chara's gaze. Its' right eye glowed a brilliant blue. Chara immediately clasped their hands together; everything they were feeling was replaced with the overpowering urge to run. The world dissolved into darkness mere moments before the attack could hit them.

The shadows dissipated, and the world returned to color. Chara found themselves in front of temple. They simply stood there, emotions smoldering. _Damn it,_ they thought. It still had the power to destroy them; the knife wounds were less effective than they appeared. In time they needed to find a better weapon. Of course they had a backup plan for their chat with the Reaper, but now it was apparent that they needed one at all times.

Chara came as close as they could to besting the Gods' pet. They took no pride in it however. That too was a concept long lost to them. Instead of pride, they felt the burning sensation that gave them strength beginning to fade to ice as the tidal wave of flight and fear flooded Chara's mind.

Intense physical pain wracked their entire body. They were badly burnt, and had three deep bloody cuts. All exposed to the freezing night air, which only led to inflame the pain even greater. There wasn't a point on their body that didn't hurt in some way. All of the physical and mental torture fed Chara's lust, no, _need_ for some sort of relief. It was becoming unbearable.

Immediately, they came to the idea that there were two options. They felt no moral issues with the acts. The naive and foolish Chara of the past truly was gone from this world, if that vision of themselves was even real to begin with. Plus, they could truly test the extent of their unfamiliar power.

The first option. Chara turned to face the Temple. It had only been a few minutes since they were last here but it felt like they had been gone from its' halls for a lifetime. They felt no warm reunion however. The unsettling mix of fear and urge to run still crept through them. However, the tidal force of emotions was tempered. Its' biting edge brought down to a dull ache as the new heated feeling filled the void somewhat.

Chara started walking over to the Temple's door. It was broken to bits. Everything inside that was not made of stone was burned and blackened or smashed. All the windows were broken. Shards littered the floor. The new look suited the place better. Still, it could use improvement.

Chara closed their eyes and concentrated. They slowly raised both arms high in the air. Now they could to test the true limits of their strength. They imagined the temple surrounded by black spikes, the very same kind that pierced the hearts of those who attacked them.

The inner fire flared again. When they opened their eyes, they saw exactly what they imagined. The spikes were massive and curved like the teeth a huge beast, about to bite down on its' prey and rip it to shreds. The temple was completely surrounded.

Chara brought their hands down with great force and the tendrils shot through the walls. Bits of debris and rubble exploded from all angles, and rained onto the ground. The shadows repeated a cycle of retracting, piercing and ravaging. Walls fell, pillars broke, the ceiling started to cave in.

It only took a few moments before all that remained of the once proud testament to the gods lay in pieces on the cold earth. Even the underground cave had been destroyed, they made sure of it. The black spikes faded to nothingness. The sight brought a wave of relief. It dulled Chara's pain, but it was not enough. They needed more.

Chara turned away from the ruins and started walking. It was time for the second option. The Reaper was surely not far behind them. This was good, Chara wanted it to see this next part. Chara gripped the knife still in their hand. Shadows began dancing around them like black fire. The unquenchable thirst called out for satisfaction, and it was time to drink until there was nothing left. Chara set off in the direction of the nearest village.

END


End file.
